Amazing Hot Dog

[ejebud]

I figured that it was time to open the Amazing Hot Dog Thread. We are getting even closer to final approval. Here's where we stand as of right now:

First. the logo:

We have a signed lease that is contingent upon final aproval by the town of Verona. The space is at 148A Bloomfield Ave next to the Acura dealer. There is a strip of stores to the left of the dealership. Our food related neighbors are New York Bagel and Mardi Gras caterers.

We went in front of the zoning board at the July meeting and gave 95% of our testimony. The board heard our Architect, our engineer/planner, our attorney, and yes even our meteorologist!! There were alot of questions being raised about exhaust and odors, so we felt it prudent to ask for an adjournment to secure the services of an expert on the subject. We have our expert and are on the agenda for the September 8th meeting. There was also a concerned resident who lives behind the building who I respect highly for caring enough about his neighborhood to attrend the meeting to voice his concerns and I am confident that we will address his concerns to the boards satisfaction.

We are serving primarily hot dogs(Best's 1/4 pound Don's of course) and french fries, with a burger available for the one friend in the group that doesn't like hot dogs!?!? We will also have a veggie dog and a turkey dog by popular demand. Our two basic dogs are:

The CLASSIC- a locally made, 100% all beef dog

an AMAZING-a bacon wrapped CLASSIC.

The dogs will be flash fried to keep the natural casing intact to ensure a solid **SNAP** and to make the bacon on the AMAZING get crispy, but we will griddle one(sans bacon) untill we can convert you over.

We have 20 ala carte toppings some of wich are free ie. mustard, ketchup,suerkraut,relish, and raw onions. and some that will cost extra ie, cheesewhiz, Homemade chili, salsa, cole slaw, baked beans, sauteed onions, and a few others.

We have a dozen topping combination dogs with cute names like the Jersey Breakfast, smokey joe, My Schmiero, Caped Crusader, Nacho dog to name few.

The place will be clean and bright and totally family and especially kid friendly. If all goes well at the meeting, we could concievably open in early to mid November. We will be there alot between now and opening day, so if your in the area feel free to stop in and say hello. I love to meet fellow Egulleters.

I look forward to AMAZING you with our hot dogs, untill then I'll keep you guys posted here on Egullet.

Eric

[Holly Moore]

Great start Eric. Good luck with the City Fathers. Sounds like you've done your homework. And congrats on your tenacity to get this far.

Three questions. First, what is flash frying? Basic deep fat frying or a new technique? If deep fat frying have you tried it with an all beef dog? Hot Dog John is the expert on such matters, but my understanding is that most places use a pork dog because it fries up better.

Question two, the hot dog bun. Will you be grilling it or toasting the bun? Will you be going the extra step and buttering it too. Many a poorly attended to bun have ruined perfectly cooked hot dogs.

Final question, the french fries. Will they be fresh cut? Hopefully yes. If so will they be: 1) twice fried ala the original McDonald's dog, 2) thicker cut than shoe string - 1/4" or 3/8" and 3) cooked to order. Answer yes all along here and you've picked up at least one guarenteed fan.

Here's wishing you great success. Do keep us posted.

[rlibkind]

First, what is flash frying?  Basic deep fat frying or a new technique?  If deep fat frying have you tried it with an all beef dog?  Hot Dog John is the expert on such matters, but my understanding is that most places use a pork dog because it fries up better.

←

Holly, IIRC, the Italian dogs are beef dogs, and they are deep fried. (John, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Tommy uses Best, or am I confusing him with Jerry's down the block?). Certainly there are some good pork and pork/beef dogs that deep fry well, but all-beef can work, too.

[ejebud]

Three questions.  First, what is flash frying?  Basic deep fat frying or a new technique?  If deep fat frying have you tried it with an all beef dog?  Hot Dog John is the expert on such matters, but my understanding is that most places use a pork dog because it fries up better.

Question two, the hot dog bun.  Will you be grilling it or toasting the bun?  Will you be going the extra step and buttering it too.  Many a poorly attended to bun have ruined perfectly cooked hot dogs.

Final question, the french fries.  Will they be fresh cut?  Hopefully yes.  If so will they be:  1) twice fried ala the original McDonald's dog, 2) thicker cut than shoe string - 1/4" or 3/8" and 3) cooked to order.  Answer yes all along here and you've picked up at  least one guarenteed fan.

Here's wishing you great success.  Do keep us posted.

←

Holly,

Thanks for your kind wishes!! To answer your questions:

I used the term Flash fried to make it clear, that we are not making "rippers" here. They will be minimaly cooked, just to crisp the casing and/or bacon and to sufficiently heat through. Sort of fried with a conscience if you will.

The bun is basically an oversized hot dog roll made by the Martins baking Co of Potato roll fame but IS NOT A POTATO ROLL!! I want to be clear about this. At this point we know we will be steaming the buns and will decide when our equiptment is in place wether further treatment is logistically feasable.

And speaking of logostics, the fries are indeed an important part of the operation, and again, once we have our equiptment in place we will see how feasable it is to do authentic belgium fries(twice cooked). It is my desire to do them, but we may have to begin with a really great fry that is readily available (like the ones at MELT) and work towards the greater desired end product. We will do extensive testing of fries before we open. My space is just 1068 sq ft in total so it's going to be tight. Just know, that my heart is in the right place on this.

Thanks again for your incredible insight!!

Eric

[Holly Moore]

First, what is flash frying?  Basic deep fat frying or a new technique?  If deep fat frying have you tried it with an all beef dog?  Hot Dog John is the expert on such matters, but my understanding is that most places use a pork dog because it fries up better.

←

Holly, IIRC, the Italian dogs are beef dogs, and they are deep fried. (John, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Tommy uses Best, or am I confusing him with Jerry's down the block?). Certainly there are some good pork and pork/beef dogs that deep fry well, but all-beef can work, too.

←

Italian dogs are a breed all their own. I was thinking more of a Rutt or similar traditional Jersey fried dog which is typically a beef/pork blend like Thumann's. But based on Eric's reply here they will be frying beef dogs with natural casing.

[Rosie]

Congratulations. I think a Japanese restaurant was there before. Are you BYO?

[Holly Moore]

Holly,

Thanks for your kind wishes!!  To answer your questions:

I used the term Flash fried to make it clear, that we are not making "rippers" here.  They will be minimaly cooked, just to crisp the casing and/or bacon and to sufficiently heat through.  Sort of fried with a conscience if you will.

The bun is basically an oversized hot dog roll made by the Martins baking Co of Potato roll fame but IS NOT A POTATO ROLL!!  I want to be clear about this.  At this point we know we will be steaming the buns and will decide when our equiptment is in place wether further treatment is logistically feasable.

And speaking of logostics, the fries are indeed an important part of the operation, and again, once we have our equiptment in place we will see how feasable it is to do authentic belgium fries(twice cooked).  It is my desire to do them, but we may have to begin with a really great fry that is readily available (like the ones at MELT)  and work towards the greater desired end product. We will do extensive testing of fries before we open.   My space is just 1068 sq ft in total so it's going to be tight.  Just know, that my heart is in the right place on this.

Thanks again for your incredible insight!!

Eric

←

My original post was leading in that I really prefer a grilled bun and start drooling when the bun is grilled and buttered. That alone may be reason enough for you to stick with steaming. But in my old horse, old tricks way of looking at things: Steamed bun - steamed or dirty water dog. Grilled bun - grilled or fried dog. That said, I'm not sure whether or not Rutt's grills or steams their buns. It's been too long. I've got to get back by summer's end.

A reputation for great fries will get you as much or more business than a reputation for great dogs. If there is any way you can squeeze it in and make it work, it should pay off huge in the long run.

[ejebud]

A reputation for great fries will get you as much or more business than a reputation for great dogs.  If there is any way you can squeeze it in and make it work, it should pay off huge in the long run.

←

I think you just convinced us to at least begin with hand cut fries with a wall mounted fry cutter then immediately into the oil. We will forgo the frozen fry route.

Eric

[Holly Moore]

Egads. I hope I'm right.

[menton1]

Any options to have the dogs grilled? I only like grilled dogs, a la Papaya King in NYC.

Edited August 21, 2005 by menton1 (log)

[glenn]

Eric, can I say again I love your logo AND name?!

I'm glad to hear things are proceeding well. It sounds like you're doing everything right.

The french fry thing - I agree with Holly. Do it right from the onset and use fresh potatoes. As you know, we don't, although our frozen fries are close enough to the real thing that it's hard to tell the difference. But we only do frozen out of necessity. We just don't have the time or facilities to do it any other way. If I had my druthers, we'd be doing real fries, regular and sweet potato.

Can you tell me more about the Martin dog roll? How much, how big, where do you get it?

Flash fry? - how long is it fried for? [how long is a ripper fried?]

Holly, I'm not familiar with buttering the bun. Is there a way to do it if it's grilled. I really don't have the means to steam the bun. Btw, we use Best's foot-long Syd dog.

[jackal10]

What is the cooking medium for the fries?

Id it the same fryer as the beef/bacon dogs? In which case will therer be cross flavours?

Even better is to cook the fries in proper beef tallow...and replace it frequently to ensure no stale off-tastes.

You could run an amazingmobile on he waste frying medium...

[Holly Moore]

...  Holly, I'm not familiar with buttering the bun.  Is there a way to do it if it's grilled.

←

Yes there are small pans with rollers on them that the better goes into. These then sit on a cooler portion of the grill and, after removing the caramelized bun from the grill you pull it over the rollers for a coating of butter.

Butter Spreader

[John]

Eric,

Good luck with Amazing Hot Dog! I am looking forward to sampling your dogs as well as Glenn's at Melt. Still haven't made it to Jersey City (where I was born and my parents grew up) but maybe soon as I will be on vacation.

Tommy's uses skinless Best's for their Italian Hot Dogs and natural casing dogs for their regular hot dog. The regular dog is boiled, while those for Italian Style are deep fried. Jerry's uses natural casing Best's.

A lot of North Jersey places deep fry a pork/beef dog. Many of them use a dog by Thumann's which has 2 extra ingredients which aid in frying. Semolina and soy protein concentrate. This causes the dogs to puff up and rip. But not all places that deep fry their dogs use this one. Some, like Falls View, use the Thumann's griller and deep fry it. Callahan's and the Hot Grill use a beef and pork dog from Marathon (Sabrett) that does not contain these ingredients. This dog is also used for grilling (Windmill).

I was told by someone from Thumann's that pork fries up faster than beef, but that it's ok to deep fry or flash fry a beef dog. I think that Best's dogs taste great fried. I love them in Italian Hot Dogs. There was a Jimmy Buff's in North Arlington, that has since closed. They used to offer a foot long Best's skinless dog that they deep fried. It was delicious. Jimmy Buff's has a long rectangular steel pan that they put oil in and fry the dogs. I don't know if you would consider this deep fried or flash fried or sauteed. Other places just throw the dogs in the deep fryer. For beef dogs, you don't really look for them to rip, as they don't have the 2 extra ingredients. If they do rip open, it's because they were cooked too long.

It probably doesn't make much of a difference the way most dogs are fried, but those made by Thumann's for deep frying have to be totally submerged in hot oil to get the desired effect.

[ejebud]

Any options to have the dogs grilled?  I only like grilled dogs, a la Papaya King in NYC.

←

YES!! We will have a griddle so thet WILL be an option. Not sure if we can do the bacon wrapped dogs that way, but testing will tell.

[ejebud]

Eric, can I say again I love your logo AND name?! 

Can you tell me more about the Martin dog roll?  How much, how big, where do you get it?

Flash fry? - how long is it fried for?  [how long is a ripper fried?]

←

Glenn, Iknow the dog you are using, and this roll would be too large for yours. Your challenge is length, and Mine (dare I say it) is girth.

a ripper is fried untill the casing busts open and it gets a big giant rip in the side of the dog. This alows for the absorption of oil. We want to prevent that from happening so we are going to fry 'em for less time.

Thanks for your good wishes!!

Eric

[Holly Moore]

Glenn,  Iknow the dog you are using, and this roll would be too large for yours.  Your challenge is length, and Mine (dare I say it) is girth.

a ripper is fried untill the casing busts open and it gets a big giant rip in the side of the dog.  This alows for the absorption of oil.  We want to prevent that from happening so we are going to fry 'em for less time.

Thanks for your good wishes!!

Eric

←

Rutt's calls a dog that is not cooked until the casing bursts an "In Out Dog."

[John]

Holly,

Rutt's Hut neither steams or grills their buns. Just taken out of the package and slapped with a dog. Interesting note; Rutt's, the Hot Grill, and Jerry's in Elizabeth recently switched from Pechter's to Sabrett buns. I asked someone at Rutt's why, and I was told that Pechter's stopped making hot dog buns. I found out from someone that Pechter's buns contain no preservatives and go stale faster, and this is probably why these places switched. Today I went to Rutt's to pick up relish, and the Hot Grill to get some chili sauce. A different guy at Rutt's said that Pechter's still makes hot dog buns, but that they go stale too fast. When I went to the Hot Grill, I saw boxes marked Pechter's. I asked one of the older Greek guys, and from what I was able to understand, he told me that they switched to Sabrett because Pechter's stopped making buns, and then switched back to Pechter's because they started making them again. So who knows?

I like Pechter's and Rockland Bakery for hot dog buns. Baker's Touch used to be good until they stopped making individual baked buns and started making cheaper supermarket ones.

[Holly Moore]

Go figure. I was thinking that might have been the case which is why I hedged in my post above.

Even though I always list Rutts as one of my favorite dogs, I'm still partial to a grilled bun or a grilled and buttered bun. Probably why New England style buns are my favorite. The lend themselves to grilling.

[John]

Holly,

Where is that hot dog from?

[Holly Moore]

Dutton's Doghouse in Boothbay Harbor ME.

[Mayhaw Man]

I think you just convinced us to at least begin with hand cut fries with a wall mounted fry cutter then immediately into the oil.  We will forgo the frozen fry route.

Eric

←

I have worked a number of places that had these things, so I have a helpful hint:

mount the thing like it is going to be in a war. Mount it like it is going to be used by dishwashers. Use bolts that are bigger than you need, put them all the way through the wall if possible, and put a plate on the backside of the wall to even out the load. It never occurs to first time users that these things are machines that do a pretty torque heavy job, and additionally, that they will likely be operated by non owners who aren't particularly concrerned with pulling the wall down. Whatever you do, don't even try mounting it into studs with screws. This will last about one sack of potatoes and then you will have no fries and 4 holes in your walls until you get them fixed. They are great units, but they can really do some damage if you don't set them up tight..

[ejebud]

I have worked a number of places that had these things, so I have a helpful hint:

mount the thing like it is going to be in a war. Mount it like it is going to be used by dishwashers.  Use bolts that are bigger than you need, put them all the way through the wall if possible, and put a plate on the backside of the wall to even out the load. It never occurs to first time users that these things are machines that do a pretty torque heavy job, and additionally, that they will likely be operated by non owners who aren't particularly concrerned with pulling the wall down. Whatever you do, don't even try mounting it into studs with screws. This will last about one sack of potatoes and then you will have no fries and 4 holes in your walls until you get them fixed. They are great units, but they can really do some damage if you don't set them up tight..

←

So I guess the velcro system I planned on won't suffice?? Seriously though, Thanks for the physics lesson. I'll be sure to use a hot glue gun in conjunction with the velcro!

Eric

[Mayhaw Man]

I have worked a number of places that had these things, so I have a helpful hint:

mount the thing like it is going to be in a war. Mount it like it is going to be used by dishwashers.  Use bolts that are bigger than you need, put them all the way through the wall if possible, and put a plate on the backside of the wall to even out the load. It never occurs to first time users that these things are machines that do a pretty torque heavy job, and additionally, that they will likely be operated by non owners who aren't particularly concrerned with pulling the wall down. Whatever you do, don't even try mounting it into studs with screws. This will last about one sack of potatoes and then you will have no fries and 4 holes in your walls until you get them fixed. They are great units, but they can really do some damage if you don't set them up tight..

←

So I guess the velcro system I planned on won't suffice?? Seriously though, Thanks for the physics lesson. I'll be sure to use a hot glue gun in conjunction with the velcro!

Eric

←

Oh sure, you go ahead and laugh, hot dog boy. But one afternoon you'll come back after making the deposits and there will be a big fat hole in the sheetrock and no fries prepped. All you will have is a fry masher on the floor and a lot of guilty looking prep guys. And when it happens, you'll not even be able to post about it, because you know that you won't be able to deal with the scathing ridicule that you will recieve here from this previously helpful audience.

[rooftop1000]

the heck with the wall I ripped the handle right off the fry cutter. probabley shouldnt operate machinery drunk but I was working in a bar....the 4 ft flames off the grill were cool

tracey